Comment by gmd63
Comment by gmd63 3 days ago
Another example of why outsourcing manufacturing is a national security concern, and how the absolute free market can lead "winners" to harm themselves by chasing "success" at all costs.
Comment by gmd63 3 days ago
Another example of why outsourcing manufacturing is a national security concern, and how the absolute free market can lead "winners" to harm themselves by chasing "success" at all costs.
Just because something is not affordable doesn't mean its affordable alternative is a viable option, especially when information asymmetries caused by foreign manufacture obscure plastic explosives in the devices or whatever triggered these.
It is the same attitude. "Outsourcing is the only way we can be competitive" / "Buying these cheap pagers is the only way we can afford it"
Do you think manufacturing pagers in Lebanon is a viable alternative?
The idea of the majority of manufacturing being external to a country is a little under 100 years old, yet people talk as if it is unthinkable.
Unthinkable, or at least not feasible, in the sense of supporting the current level of technological advancement and average quality of life in many countries.
lebanon has an economy that's currently in shambles, and its never been known for its productive capacity. even if they wanted to start making simple comms devices it might rely on infrastructure that they can't invest in, and take tech/capital they have not accumulated
it would be more realistic for them to receive it from the iran but there might be political hurdles to this and it would end up costing the iranians as hezbollah can't be expected to pay much for it
100 years ago there were no pagers or mobile phones I guess, or any other kind of modern advanced tech.
No, there were engines that were capable of flight, guns capable of rapid fire, television technology and radios.
That was "advanced modern technology" then, and as the passage of time has marched forward, what we consider modern changes - so what's your point?
Undoubtedly, this attack has proven that it certainly is, at whatever cost.
The initial objection was the lack of sufficient size or institutional robustness for indigenous manufacturing capacity. I addressed that.
The question of the integrity and trustworthiness of a collective bloc structure had occurred. It's another factor, and of course poses its own challenges. Then again, the Western bloc, most capable of the set, seems to have persistent issues along those lines already. Several of Israeli origin, as it happens. (Though of course not solely.)
Doesn't matter, they could have intercepted a shipment and done the same thing
Arguably, it's off-topic, though I agree with the point. Lebanon has been struck by poverty, and as a result, they might have far fewer choices when it comes to providers in general. Manufacturing within Lebanon or trading with neighboring countries might not be affordable for them.
It’s important to take a step back before generalizing an economic or political statement that may not be applicable in other contexts. There are little chances that the supply chain in Lebanon is in the same state as Europe countries' ones, for instance. Thus, this is not another example.